The present invention relates generally to audio recording devices, and relates specifically to a novel music jukebox.
Present audio tape recorder/players provide for both audio recording onto a cassette tape and play back of the audio recording, and are generally relatively easy to use. The typical audio tape recorder/player has several push-buttons which allow a user to have the device perform a number of functions in connection with the cassette tape. Normally, a push-button is provided for each of the following functions: pause, stop, rewind, fast forward, play and record.
In addition to being easy to use, some audio tape recorder/players provide additional advantages by way of advanced features. For example, some provide that one can determine a recording sound level before or during a recording, and set or adjust a recording gain level in response thereto. Specifically, some provide a digital display, such as an LED display, that indicates the sound level which will be recorded (or which is being recorded) onto the cassette tape, and provide a rotary knob, or other type of adjustor, which one can adjust in order to set (or adjust) the recording gain level. However, even these more advanced audio tape recorder/players do not provide that one can listen to how the recording actually sounds until after the sounds are recorded onto the tape. In other words, the typical audio tape recorder/player does not allow one to truly xe2x80x9cauditionxe2x80x9d a recording before it is actually recorded onto a cassette tape. As a result, several xe2x80x9ctakesxe2x80x9d may be required before an acceptable recording is obtained. A recording may be unacceptable because of a number of reasons such as, for example, because the recording gain level was set too low or too high.
Additionally, present audio tape recorder/players do not provide an easy way to vary the order in which a set of sounds, such as a set of songs, will appear on the cassette tape. Because an audio tape recorder/player records essentially what it xe2x80x9chearsxe2x80x9d or receives, in real time, it is not possible to easily customize the order in which sound tracks, such as songs, will appear on the recorded tape.
Another disadvantage of audio tape recorder/players is that they produce analog recordings, and analog recordings have a lower sound quality than do digital recordings. Furthermore, cassette tapes are not as durable as compact discs. For example, a dirty tape head may effectively destroy a cassette tape upon play back. For these reasons, cassette tapes are no longer the standard in the music industry, and compact discs are now en vogue. Therefore, while the demand for audio tape recorder/players has decreased, the demand for compact disc players has been increasing.
Like present audio tape recorder/players, present compact disc players are also relatively easy to use and provide push-button controls, with a push-button being provided for each of the following functions in connection with the compact disc: pause, stop, track reverse, track forward and play. The track reverse and track forward functions of the present-day compact disc player are much like the rewind and forward functions, respectively, of the present-day audio tape recorder/player. However, the nature of compact discs provides that the track reverse and track forward functions of a compact disc player are more useful than the respective rewind and fast forward functions of an audio tape recorder/player. Specifically, holding the track reverse or track forward push-button down provides that the compact disc player skips back or forward, respectively, within a given sound track. In contrast, tapping the track reverse or track forward push-button on the compact disc player provides that the compact disc player very quickly skips back or ahead, respectively, to the previous or next sound track on the compact disc. Because of the general nature of cassette tapes, this latter feature cannot effectively be provided on audio tape recorder/players.
As mentioned, compact disc players provide certain advantages over audio tape players. Compact disc players play back digital sound recordings from a compact disc, and digital sound recordings have a higher sound quality than do analog signal recordings. Also, compact disc players provide for fast movement to the previous or next sound track. However, while audio tape recorder/players provide that one can record onto a cassette tape, most presently generally available compact disc players do not provide that one can record onto a compact disc.
Those compact disc recorders which are generally available record onto a compact disc in real time and do not provide any true editing functions. For example, some compact disc recorders now available provide that a source device, such as a compact disc player or a cassette tape player, is first connected to inputs of the compact disc recorder. Then, as the source device is operated to begin playing music from the source medium, the compact disc recorder is operated to begin recording. Therefore, as the source device is playing music, the compact disc recorder records the music in real time, as the compact disc recorder receives the music through its inputs.
There are many disadvantages to having to record in real time. One disadvantage is that editing is severely limited. If a mistake is made, the mistake is generally non-correctable. For example, if one begins recording the wrong song onto the compact disc or begins recording a song at the wrong volume, the mistake cannot readily be corrected. One would have to start over, and begin recording onto a new compact disc. Another disadvantage to having to record in real time is that if one wishes to make several identical compact discs, one would need to re-play all of the source music into the compact disc recorder. Of course, this effectively provides more opportunities for mistakes to be made while recording. Furthermore, if one wishes to make a second compact disc much like a compact disc which was made previously, with the exception of one song being replaced by another, one would need to re-play all of the previous source music into the compact disc recorder in addition to having to play the new song into the recorder. Likewise, if one wishes to make a second compact disc much like a compact disc which was made previously, with the exception of the songs on the second compact disc appearing in a different sequence, one would need to re-play all of the previous source music into the compact disc recorder, albeit in a different order.
Some other compact disc recorders now available include two compact disc traysxe2x80x94one tray for playing music from a compact disc, and one tray for recording the music onto another compact disc. In other words, music is recorded from tray-to-tray. This type of compact disc recorder presents many of the same disadvantages as discussed above because the recording is still done in real time.
Most of the compact disc recorders presently available can play music from a standard compact disc, thereby operating like a standard compact disc player. However, the devices generally cannot play back music which was received previously by the device unless the compact disc containing that music is first inserted into the tray of the device.
Another disadvantage to the compact disc recorders which are presently generally available is that the devices cannot be used to record onto standard CD-R discs which can be played back using any standard compact disc player. Standard CD-R recordable compact discs (as opposed to discs marked xe2x80x9cfor consumer usexe2x80x9d) are presently widely available, are inexpensive, and can be played back using any standard compact disc player.
The present invention is directed at solving the disadvantages discussed hereinabove.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox which provides advantages not generally provided by other presently available compact disc recorders.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox which can be used to store music tracks as easily as using a modem-day audio tape recorder/player.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox that provides that one can listen to a stored sound track before the sound track is recorded onto a compact disc (i.e. truly xe2x80x9cauditionxe2x80x9d a recording).
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox that provides that one can easily customize the order in which sound tracks will appear on a compact disc.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox that can play back music which was received previously by the device without a compact disc containing that music being first inserted into the device.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a music jukebox that can be used to record onto computer-compatible compact discs which are presently widely available, are inexpensive, and can be played back using a standard compact disc player.
Briefly, and in accordance with at least one of the foregoing objects, the present invention envisions a music jukebox which is configured for storing a music library therein. The music jukebox includes a housing, audio input structure on the housing for receiving audio signals, audio output structure on the housing for outputting audio signals, and a data storage structure in the housing for storing audio signals. The music jukebox is configured such that a music library of sound tracks is storable in the data storage structure. The music jukebox includes means for selecting a sound track from the music library stored in the data storage structure to play through the audio output structure, and the housing includes a display thereon which identifies sound tracks in the music library.